Prime Witness
by bellaa95
Summary: A Paily AU where Emily is Paige's new lab assistant. Of course they have an instant connection, and plenty of Paily fluff/smut follows. But then Emily witnesses a murder, and the killer knows she saw them. Rated M for language, frightening situations, and smut.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, here's my latest creation. I don't own Pretty Little Liars, and the towns/places are all fictional. I figured you Paily fans can use all the stories you can get since… well, you know. This will be a sappy Paily story with mystery entwined, so I hope you all enjoy. Feel free to review and let me know if you are interested in me continuing!**

Paige McCullers yawned loudly as she poured a generous amount of steaming coffee into her Pittsburg Steelers traveler's mug. It was seven in the morning and time for her to head to her research lab at the St. Grace Medical Center, where she conducted research on the different types of leukemias seen in their patients. She also ran results of labs sent from the oncology ward, but usually an assistant did that. She was getting her new assistant that day, a graduate student looking to go into cancer research.

She certainly didn't mind having someone else do the grunt work for her. That was what she had graduated early for. Maybe she was a little bit of an overachiever, but she had a good paying job that she happened to love to show for it.

Her roommate, Toby Cavanaugh, always told her she was the textbook definition of a type A personality. She didn't think that was meant to be a compliment, but she couldn't help it if she was a little tightly wound. Toby would always add insult to injury by telling her she just needed to get laid. He really could be a jerk sometimes.

"You save some for me?" he asked, stumbling into the small kitchen. He was already dressed in his Wallford PD uniform, tightening his tie.

"Mmmph," Paige grunted, screwing the lid on.

"You're drinking that black?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. She sighed, opening the cabinet to pull out the box of Irish crème coffee creamers.

"No. It's just too early."

"Hey, don't you get your new assistant today?"

"Sure do," she replied, tossing the empty creamers into the garbage. She felt inside her bag to make sure she had her phone.

"Maybe she'll be cute."

"Shut up, Toby. How do you even know she's a she?"

"I don't know. That's why I said maybe."

"Oh my God, Toby. I didn't break up with Shana that long ago. Just chill."

"Alright, alright," he replied, holding up his hands. "I'm just saying, maybe-."

"I know, I know, maybe if I had a good fuck I wouldn't be so uptight. Good bye, Toby."

She left the apartment before he could say anything else. She was used to this conversation, and maybe he was right, but her breakup with Shana was just too fresh in her mind. She was twenty-four years old now, and until this past spring, she had been with Shana since her second year of undergraduate school. They had been growing apart over the past year, but then she had cheated on Paige. Not once, but twice. So she had moved out of Shana's house and moved in with Toby, whom she had been best friends with for years. He was a great guy, and he respected the fact that she was into girls and not guys. Overall, she thought she was pretty happy. But that brisk October morning, as she drove to the hospital, she thought maybe it would be nice to feel that thrill of a relationship again.

When she got to the hospital she took the elevator up to the eighth floor, which was where all the research labs were located. She went into the reception office to see if her lab assistant was there, and she stopped short when she saw the young dark haired woman sitting in one of the chairs, picking at her nails. Paige hoped that was her assistant. She was absolutely stunning to look at, with dark brown eyes and copper colored skin. She looked up at Paige, a smile crossing her face.

"Are you Dr. McCullers?" she asked eagerly, quickly standing up. Paige nodded, recovering enough to answer her.

"Yes. You are?"

"Emily Fields," the dark haired beauty replied, reaching out to shake her hand. Paige accepted, immediately drawn to how soft the woman's skin was. She really was incredibly attractive.

"It's nice to meet you, Emily. You already met with Mona?"

"Yes, last week. She said I was all ready to start."

"Perfect," Paige replied, hoping the woman couldn't tell she was checking her out. She cleared her throat, trying to seem like she had it all together. "We can head to the lab. I'll show you around."

She led Emily down the hallway, her cheeks bright red. Why did her lab assistant have to be so attractive? This was a disaster waiting to happen. What happened when this girl turned out to be straight and was creeped out when she found out Paige was into her? She silently cursed her hormones as she unlocked the door.

"So, Emily, you want to go into cancer research?" she asked, hoping if she made small talk it would distract her from thinking anything inappropriate.

"Yeah," Emily replied brightly. "At first I was thinking of going to medical school to become an oncologist, but I tried volunteering in the oncology ward and it was just too hard for me to see, you know? I don't think I have the backbone."

Paige nodded, turning to face the beauty again. Maybe it was just her hormones, but Emily definitely seemed like a sweet, sensitive woman, and she couldn't see her in such a heartbreaking field. Her friend Spencer Hastings, on the other hand, was a pediatric oncologist at the hospital, and she often came by the lab to talk to Paige personally about lab results. Spencer was purely business, and Paige always thought she had a good personality to be dealing with death on a fairly regular basis. Not that Spencer was cold, but she was good at distancing herself from work and the rest of her life. Paige had seen her lose a patient and then go out to dinner with people from work in the same night, and she really admired her for it. She was pretty sure that if she had Spencer's job, she would spend her nights crying with a bottle of wine.

"I understand. You'll probably get to meet Dr. Hastings, one of the pediatric oncologists here. She might seem kind of aloof, but she's actually really nice when you get to know her. Don't let her hard exterior fool you." Paige paused a moment, realizing that she was saying about Spencer what people always said about her. A lot of people who knew her thought she liked to put on a tough front, when in reality, she was pretty sensitive. She didn't want Emily to know that, though. "So, Emily, let me show you around."

The day passed by remarkably fast. Emily was very chatty, and Paige was more than happy to listen to her talk about herself. She kept having to remind herself not to stare, but tearing her eyes away from the beauty in front of her was not by any means easy.

Emily seemed smart, too. She picked up on what they were doing quickly, and she cheerfully greeted everyone who came into the lab. Paige couldn't wait to tell Toby about her later.

"…..my ex-girlfriend Maya-."

"What?" Paige asked, snapping to attention immediately. "Ex-girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Emily replied. "I'm a lesbian. Is that okay?"

"Yes! I mean, of course," Paige replied, her cheeks turning bright red. Emily looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "I am too, actually."

"Really?" Emily asked. Maybe it was her imagination, but Paige thought she sat up a little straighter. "What are the chances?"

"I know," Paige chuckled. "I'm not used to girls I… I'm not used to girls I meet not being straight."

A grin crossed Emily's face. Paige wondered if her face could get any redder, but she forced herself to keep looking at Emily, as much as she wanted to duck her head.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," Emily told her, and Paige almost dropped the test tube she was holding.

"Um, uh… thanks," she replied, wanting to burst with joy. Emily was definitely flirting with her. "Uh…. can you hold this, please?"

"Sure," Emily replied, the same shit eating grin staying on her face. "I think I'm really going to like it here."

"I hope you do," Paige told her. Her cheeks still felt like they were on fire. She hadn't even known Emily for a day, but the effect she had on her was amazing. Toby was right. She really needed to get laid.

"McCullers!" a voice shouted as the door flew open. A young, tall brunette stood in the doorway, dressed all in black with a white lab coat. "Sorry to do this to you, but….. oh. Who's this?"

"Spencer, this is my new lab assistant, Emily," Paige answered, grateful for the interruption. "She's a graduate student. Emily, this is Dr. Spencer Hastings. She was the oncologist I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you, Emily," Spencer told her, reaching out to shake her hand. "I can only imagine what she told you. I'm glad you're here. McCullers works a little slow sometimes."

"Only when you swamp me," Paige retorted.

"It's nice to meet you," Emily told her. "Don't worry, Paige said all good things about you."

Spencer grinned at Paige. Paige rolled her eyes.

"What were you saying when you came in?"

"Oh. Sorry to do this to you, because I know you normally leave soon, but I've got a few samples coming up soon. We have two possible new admissions."

"No worries. It's what I'm here for," Paige replied.

"I have to get back. Have fun," Spencer told her, winking at her before disappearing into the hallway. Paige felt her cheeks turn pink for about the ten billionth time that day. Emily gave her a sweet smile, and she gulped. She couldn't help it. She was already falling hard.

Emily was in high spirits when she left the hospital, and it had very little to do with the fact that everyone she met had been nice and she knew she was going to like working in the lab. No, the main reason she was so happy was who she was working with. She couldn't stop thinking about Paige McCullers, and how adorably dorky she was. The woman had spent half the day blushing, and Emily was already getting her hopes after hearing she was a lesbian. She definitely thought she liked her based on how embarrassed she was, especially when Emily had boldly told her she was cute (she wasn't sure where that had come from). She wasn't sure if Paige would make the first move or if she would have to, but if necessary she was definitely willing. She had taken a gamble by bringing up Maya based on the way Paige had looked at her when they had first met, and it had paid off. So as she headed to another hospital a few towns over, Rosewood Memorial Hospital, she was in a surprisingly good mood.

She walked up to the front desk, smiling sweetly at the receptionist. She wasn't sure how they didn't already know who she was.

"I'm here for Wayne Fields."

"Room 602," the woman replied, handing her a visitor's pass. She nodded. She knew all too well.

Her father was in heart failure, and he had been in the hospital for the past two weeks. He had been undergoing countless tests to determine if he should have open heart surgery. The idea terrified Emily, but if it was going to make him better, then it would be worth it.

She and her mother had spent a great deal of time by his bedside. She was there almost every day, but she had work and classes to deal with as well. Pam Fields, however, was always there.

"Hey, Dad," she said softly as she stood in the doorway. His face lit up as she walked into the room. Her heart broke a little every time she saw him. He just looked so frail.

"Emmy," he greeted her in his deep, teddy bear voice. He opened his arms and she sat down on the bed to hug him. She fought back tears, like she always did when she came to visit. She loved her mother of course, but she had always been a daddy's girl. She was his princess, and he was her hero.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, now that you're here," he replied, smiling at her. "How was your first day at the lab?"

"It was amazing. The woman I'm working with, Paige-."

"Woman?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Yes," Emily replied, blushing. "She's really cute. Nice, too. She showed me around and she told me a lot about her research. She's gay, too."

"Is she?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Well, how about that."

"I know. It's a not a good idea to get involved with someone you work with, I know, but there's just something about her I'm really drawn to."

"I understand," he assured her. "You deserve to be happy, Emmy. Just follow your heart."

She nodded, smiling as she thought of Paige. She couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow.

"I really do like the job," she told him. "It's great experience while I'm finishing school. Everyone seems very nice so far."

"Good. Very good."

"How about you?" she asked, her smile fading. "Any new news from the doctor?"

"Not yet," he replied, smiling. But his smile seemed forced. "Don't worry, Emmy. They know what they're doing."

She stayed over an hour before finally telling him she loved him and kissing him good bye. Hanna, her roommate, was probably home, and she needed to get back and make dinner. Hanna and a stove wasn't exactly something she wanted to risk.

She got into the elevator, sighing. She could feel the tension of her father's health on her shoulders. Her day with Paige would have been even better if she knew he was going to be okay.

There was nothing she could do but visit him and make sure he knew how much she loved him. And in the mean time, Paige would be a nice distraction. She deserved something good after Maya, and considering the fact that Paige was a lesbian too, she didn't think that was an opportunity she should pass up.

She walked outside into the chilly October air, shivering as she wrapped her coat tighter around her. Maybe getting involved with a coworker wasn't the best idea, but there wasn't even a guarantee it would turn out that way. But she decided that if given the chance to have something with the incredible woman she had met that day, she would. Her father was right. She was going to follow her heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! Feel free to let me know what you think of this chapter. The story will start off a little slow in terms of the mystery, but there will be plenty of Paily romance (and smut). Enjoy!**

The next morning, Paige spent a much longer time than usual getting ready. She was glad that Toby didn't have to work that morning, because if he saw her, he would laugh at her for her. He had been very excited yesterday when she had told him about Emily, especially when she had mentioned she was a lesbian. She was pretty excited about that herself.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't remember the last time she had left her hair down. Usually she just carelessly put it up in a bun, especially because working in a lab required hair back. But today she wanted to show off before they got started.

She wondered if there was any chance that Emily was as drawn to her as she was to Emily. She hadn't been able to decide if Emily had been flirting with her yesterday or not. She had called her cute, which seemed promising, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. And she certainly didn't want to appear too eager. She wasn't normally this easy, but something about Emily had completely captivated her from the very moment she had laid eyes on her.

When she got to the hospital, she went to the lab staff break room to make herself a crappy cup of cheap coffee. She had spent so much time on her appearance that morning (she had never done that before, not even in middle school) she hadn't had time to make any.

She had just gotten a cup when Emily came in, holding two cups from Dunkin Donuts. Paige grinned as Emily handed one to her, gratefully inhaling the aroma of pumpkin spice.

"Thank you. It's like you knew I needed it."

"No problem. I hope you like pumpkin spice."

"It's my absolute favorite," Paige replied. "My roommate always tells me I don't seem like the typical pumpkin spice girl, but I could live at a coffee shop when the seasonal drinks come out."

"I'm glad I guessed right," Emily laughed. She took a sip of her coffee, eyeing Paige. "You look very nice."

"Oh…. thanks," Paige replied, blushing. "I'll put my hair up when we get to the lab. I just like to remember what it looks like down sometimes."

"I like it," Emily told her. Paige swallowed hard, wishing she had the confidence to be forward. She was definitely less passive once the relationship developed, but early on she was ridiculously shy.

"Thank you," she replied, wishing her face wouldn't flush so much. "You look really nice, too. Your hair is so…. smooth."

She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. Smooth? That was the best she could come up with? Luckily, she was saved by the door opening, and Andrew Campbell and Caleb Rivers coming into the room. Andrew was a fellow cancer researcher, with his area focused on neurobiological cancers. Caleb was the head of the research department, and Paige found him far more likeable than Darren Wilden, who had stepped down last year. She really liked Andrew too, who could always make her laugh, even if she was frustrated with how an experiment turned out or if her ex-girlfriend decided to cheat on her. He had been a great source of support after she had broken up with Shana, and really, Caleb had been, too.

"Paige!" Andrew exclaimed. "Your hair!"

"What about it?" Paige grumbled.

"Oh, you must be Paige's new assistant," Caleb told Emily, reaching out his hand. "I'm Caleb, the research director."

"It's nice to meet you. Your labs here are amazing."

"Thank you," Caleb replied, beaming with pride.

"I'm Andrew. I'm doing research on neurological cancers," he told her. Paige failed to hide a grin at Andrew's blatant attempt to impress her. He liked to hit on any new woman who set foot on the eighth floor.

"I'm sure that's very interesting," Emily replied. "I'm not completely sure what kind of cancer I want to research yet. I'm still investigating."

"Are you still in school?" Andrew asked.

"Graduate school. It's my second year."

"I bet a pretty girl like you has a boyfriend," he continued. Caleb cringed as Emily and Paige laughed.

"Sorry, but you're barking up the wrong tree," Emily told him. "I'm gay."

Andrew's mouth dropped open as Caleb howled with laughter. He blushed slightly, but smiled.

"Whoops. Sorry." He turned to Paige, shaking his head. "Corrupted her already, have you?"

"It's not my fault I'm irresistible," Paige replied, batting her eyes. Emily laughed. Hopefully that made up for her awkwardness from earlier. "We have to get to work. I'll see you guys later."

"It was nice meeting you," Emily added.

"You, too," Andrew replied. "Sorry about my faux pas."

"Don't be. I take it as a compliment," she called as she followed Paige out the door.

"He did the same thing to me when I started here," Paige told her as they went into the lab. "He's a nice guy, though. He knows when to back off."

"I don't mind the attention," Emily admitted. "As long as they don't get aggressive."

"My favorite is 'you don't look gay.' Like, thanks?"

Emily laughed. Paige stopped and looked at her, admiring how beautiful she looked when she laughed. She couldn't blame Andrew for giving it a try.

"You know," she started, her heart pounding in her chest. Maybe it was too soon to be asking her out, but she was going to try anyway. "Sometimes after work some of us go to this diner nearby. It's called the Golden Swan. Cheesy name, but their food is incredible. Uh, if you… did you want to go there later?"

She couldn't believe how nervous she felt as she waited for an answer. She did her best not to let out an audible sigh of relief when Emily nodded, a smile on her face.

"I would love to," she replied.

"Great!" Paige exclaimed, inwardly cringing at how eager she sounded. She wondered if Emily thought she was a total loser. "I could pick you up, if you'd like. If you want time to go home first."

"I actually need to visit my dad," Emily told her. "So, later is fine. Five-thirty?"

"Sounds great," Paige replied, beaming. She forgot how wonderful the feeling of new attraction was.

"I live on Oak Street. You know, by the store?"

"I know where that is," Paige replied, opening the door to the cold room. She was trying to hide the fact that she was still grinning. She knew her father would say you should never get involved with someone you have to see at work every day. But she just couldn't help herself.

Emily was in high spirits when she got home. She had just gotten back from visiting her father at the hospital, and the doctors were confident that he was strong enough for open heart surgery next week. And, of course, Paige would be here to pick her up for dinner in about forty-five minutes. She wasn't sure if this was a date or not. Paige hadn't been clear, but she was thinking they were both hoping it was. She wondered how red Paige's face would get if she asked.

She thought it was absolutely adorable how much Paige blushed. She seemed so sweet and awkward, which Emily found strangely endearing. And even putting Paige's looks aside, Emily really liked the job so far. Everyone she met had been great, and it was good experience for her own future in research.

As she was heading up to the porch she could see her neighbor, Sydney Driscoll, in her garden. Sydney looked up and saw her, making her way over to the fence.

"Em. Hi."

"Hey. How's it going?"

"You start that job at the hospital yet?" Sydney asked, ignoring her question.

"Yeah. I really like it. Maybe we'll run into each other some time," she replied. Sydney was a nurse in the geriatrics ward, and she had been very excited when Emily told her she was going to be working there, too.

"Maybe," Sydney replied. Emily frowned. She had a strange look on her face, and she seemed like something was bothering her. Like there was something she wanted to say.

"Do you know Paige?" Emily asked. "Paige McCullers? She's the researcher I'm working with. She runs samples from the oncology ward, too."

"I don't know her," Sydney replied, looking down. "I don't really know anyone outside of geriatrics. Do you know who's in charge of the research labs?"

"At the hospital?" Emily asked, raising her eyebrows. "I just met him today. I can't remember his name, though. Why?"

"Just wondering," Sydney replied, sifting uncomfortably. Emily was really confused. She wasn't sure why Sydney was acting so strange, or why she was asking about the head of the research department.

"Is everything okay?"

"Fine," Sydney replied quickly. "I'm glad you like it there."

Emily nodded. As much as she wanted to pry, Paige would be here soon and she wanted to get ready. So she said good bye to Sydney and went inside, sighing when she saw Hanna sitting on the couch.

"Hi, Hanna."

"How was day two?" she asked eagerly. "You bang her yet?"

"I don't think it's safe to have sex in a lab."

"But it would still be hot!"

"Oh my God, Hanna."

"Okay, okay. How was it?"

"She's picking me up in a half an hour to go to dinner," Emily replied, grinning. Hanna squealed.

"Yes! Em, that's awesome!"

"I gotta go get changed."

"I'll come with you," Hanna replied, following her down the hall. "Just to make sure you look okay."

Emily groaned. Hanna giggled, bounding ahead of her and rushing to her closet.

"You want slutty?"

"No! Hanna, I don't even know if this is a date. I was just going to wear jeans."

"Jeans? Hell no. You have to at least wear a skirt."

"I do not. Get out of my way," Emily replied, pushing past her. "Look, Hanna, I really like her. Also…. well, she's kind of my superior at work. I don't want to seem like some desperate slut."

"Aren't you?" Hanna chuckled. Emily glared at her. "Okay, okay. Wear the jeans. But I'm picking out your shirt."

They comprised on that, and she finally decided on dark blue jeans and a light pink blouse. She had to give Hanna credit, because it did show the perfect amount of cleavage. She didn't want to move too fast with Paige, but she definitely wanted her to be interested.

"How do I look?" Emily asked. Hanna grinned, looking her up and down.

"I think I'd bang you."

"That would be so weird," Emily laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You look great, Em. Can I creep around when she shows up? I want to see what she looks like."

"As long as you promise not to embarrass me," she replied. Hanna pretended to be offended.

"When have I ever embarrassed you?"

"I've lost track," Emily replied as she door bell rang. Her heart fluttered. "I think she's here."

Emily opened the door as Hanna stood in the doorway. Paige was standing there, dressed in a dark plaid shirt and light blue jeans. Her hair was down again, and Emily's breath caught in her throat as she looked at her. She looked beautiful.

"Hi." She swallowed hard. "Come in."

Paige stepped into the living room. Emily prayed Hanna wouldn't say anything embarrassing as she came into the room.

"Paige, this is my roommate, Hanna. Hanna, this is Paige from the lab."

"It's nice to meet you," Paige replied, reaching out her hand. Hanna gave her a big hug instead.

"You, too. Don't stay out too late," Hanna told them, winking at Emily. She sighed.

"Sorry about her. I'm pretty sure her mother used to drop her on her head all the time," she told Paige, glaring at her roommate. Hanna grinned.

"It's okay. I'll bring her back in one piece," Paige assured her. "It was nice meeting you, Hanna."

Hanna waved as they left the house. Emily shook her head, closing the door behind them.

"Thank you for picking me up."

"Of course," Paige replied, smiling at her. "You look really nice, by the way."

"Thank you," Emily replied, not looking away. They gazed at each other a moment before Paige unlocked the car.

"I'm a little bit of a slow driver, just to warn you," Paige told her as they got in. Emily laughed.

"That's okay. Hanna drives like a ninety-year-old crazy woman."

Paige laughed at that. Emily smiled, feeling strangely like she had known her for just more than two days.

"I hope you're hungry," Paige told her as she started the car. "Because I am about to take you to the best diner in the world."

They drove away, never noticing the person inside the parked car across the street. Once they were gone, the figure left the car and made their way to Sydney Driscoll's house.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I'm not disappearing again, but I do have finals over the next two weeks. I can't promise regular updates between now and then, but after finals, except work I'm all yours for a whole month! Please let me you know what you think! I'd love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!**

"It's so cozy," Emily remarked as she and Paige sat down at a booth. It was nice and warm inside, a contrast to the chilly October air outside, and the gentle lights gave it a cozy glow. Paige smiled as she sat down across from her, pleased by Emily's approval.

"I love it here," Paige agreed. "I come here all the time with Spencer, or sometimes Andrew. Every once in a while I'll go with a bigger group, but I definitely like one on one better."

"I agree. I'm not very outgoing."

"Neither am I. I'm a total dork, in case you haven't noticed," she replied. Emily laughed. "Yeah. I'm not as smooth as I'd like to be."

"I think you're very funny," Emily told her.

"Well, thank you."

"And for the record," she started. "I like awkwardness. I don't know why, but I find it really endearing."

Paige chuckled, ducking her head. Emily was overcome with the sudden urge to lean across the table and kiss her.

"Well, I guess that's good for me," Paige replied as the waitress came over to them. They each ordered a grilled cheese and fries, at Paige's suggestion, and they talked comfortably while they waited for their food. Emily felt like she had known Paige longer than just two days. She felt so comfortable around her, and their conversations came so naturally. She felt really comfortable with Paige. She felt content. The woman made her feel unbelievably happy, and that was something she really needed right now.

"This is really nice," Emily told her as they dug into their food. "My dad's been in the hospital and if I'm not at school or at work, I'm there. The most exciting thing I've done lately is watch Netflix with Hanna."

"I'm sorry," Paige told her. "Is he okay?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. She didn't really like telling people about her father, but Paige just seemed so compassionate that she felt comfortable talking about it. "His heart is failing. He's probably having surgery next week."

"Oh, Em, I'm so sorry. That must be really hard for you."

"It is," she agreed. "But tonight actually gave me something to look forward to."

"Good. I'm really glad to hear that," Paige replied, reaching out her hand to take Emily's. She gladly accepted it, the feeling of their hands together sending a tingling through her.

"This is really good," Emily told her. "You weren't kidding."

"Oh, I know. I almost always get the same thing. I'm pretty boring."

"I'm the same way. Hanna always gets mad at me."

"We have a lot in common," Paige remarked.

"We do," Emily agreed. "I hope you'll get along okay without me tomorrow." Wednesdays and Fridays she had classes, so she only got to work with Paige three days. She would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed she didn't get to work with her tomorrow.

Paige just smiled, popping a French fry into her mouth. Emily wondered if she wanted to kiss her, too. She hoped so.

"So," she started casually. "I was just wondering. Is this a date?"

Paige choked. She quickly grabbed her glass of water and took a sip, clearing her throat as her face turned bright red.

"Did you want it to be?" she asked, her tone hopeful.

"I was hoping," Emily admitted. A smile crossed Paige's face.

"I was hoping, too."

"I think we can call it a date, then," Emily replied, raising her glass. "Cheers."

They clinked glasses and each took a sip. Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" began to play in the background and Emily gasped before quickly covering her mouth in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I love this song," she confessed. Paige laughed, beginning to sing along softly. Emily watched her, the desire to grab her and kiss her growing.

"Come on. Anyone who says they don't listen to Taylor Swift is obviously a liar," Paige told her.

"I'm that person," Emily agreed, and they both laughed. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy, and it was definitely a feeling long overdue.

When Paige brought her home later, she walked her up to the door. They stopped and looked at each other, Paige awkwardly stuffing her hands into her pockets.

"I had a great time tonight," she told Emily. "Thank you for accepting my invitation."

"Well, thank you for inviting me. The food was incredible. And…. I had a great time with you. I really needed that tonight."

Paige nodded, her eyes traveling to Emily's lips. And then she was leaning in, their lips connecting gently. Emily closed her eyes at the feeling of Paige's soft lips against hers, enjoying the kiss just as much as she thought she would. She was actually disappointed when Paige pulled back.

"I'll miss you at the lab tomorrow," she told her.

"Thank you," Emily replied, glad to hear her say that. "We should do this again."

"Definitely," Paige agreed. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good," Emily agreed. "Paige?"

"Yes?"

"Kiss me again."

Paige wasted no time in complying, pulling her in for another kiss. Emily didn't want her to leave, but she reluctantly said good night. She watched Paige get into her car before finally heading inside, in such a good mood that she was ready to face all of Hanna's inappropriate questions.

Paige was disappointed that Emily wasn't working with her at the lab the next day, but she had to remind herself that time apart was a good thing. After all, she had just met her, and she didn't want things to move too fast. Of course, she desperately wanted to sleep with her, but she also really wanted to get to know her first and develop intimacy with her before they jumped into bed. She wondered if Emily was as enthralled with her.

"Excuse me."

Paige jumped and turned around. A young woman she had never seen before was standing in the doorway, dressed in scrubs. She had an employee badge so Paige assumed she was a nurse, but she wasn't sure what she was doing here.

"Yes?" Paige asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Are you Dr. McCullers?"

"I am."

"I'm Sydney. Sydney Driscoll. I work in the geriatrics ward."

"Okay," Paige replied, still incredibly confused as to what the woman was doing there.

"I'm a neighbor of Emily Fields," she added. Paige's face broke into a smile at the mere mention of Emily's name.

"Oh, okay. Emily's been a pleasure to work with," she told Sydney, her mind drifting to their date the night before. But to her surprise, Sydney didn't even crack a smile.

"I was wondering if you could tell me who the head of the research department is," she continued softly. "There's something… important I need to talk to them about."

"I see," Paige replied, raising her eyebrows as she pulled her gloves off. "That would be Dr. Caleb Rivers. He actually isn't in on Wednesday, but I could take a message for him."

"Uh." Sydney glanced around nervously. Paige watched her, waiting anxiously for a response. She would have to ask Emily what this woman's deal was. "No. I'd like to talk to him directly."

"Okay. Do you want to leave your name and number?"

"I'll come back tomorrow," Sydney replied. And without another word, she hurried out of the lab and disappeared down the hall.

"What the fuck?" Paige muttered to herself, peering out the door after her. That had certainly been a strange experience. But she certainly had more than enough work to keep her busy, and it wasn't long before she had completely forgotten about the whole encounter.

She didn't know that someone had followed Sydney to her lab and had heard their whole conversation.

"It was really weird," Paige was telling Emily the next morning. They had just gotten to the hospital and were having breakfast in the café. Paige had remembered to tell her about Sydney, but unfortunately for her, Emily had no explanation.

"I saw her outside the other day, and she acted all weird. She asked about the head of the research department, too. I wanted to pry more but you were coming to pick me up and well, I was too excited," she admitted sheepishly. Paige laughed.

"I'm glad to hear that. I was just wondering if she's normally like that."

"No. I'm not really sure what her sudden obsession with the research department is. She's worked in geriatrics for a few years now, but never research."

"Weird."

"Sorry I can't be more of a help," Emily told her. Paige smiled, looking into her beautiful brown eyes.

"Don't be. I'm glad you'll be back today. After only two days I'm already spoiled with having someone to help me."

"I'm glad I'm back, too," Emily agreed. Paige wondered if Emily could see the happiness physically bursting out of her. "I was thinking maybe we could go out on Friday evening after I'm done with class and you're done here. There's this really nice coffee shop I'd like to show you."

"I like that idea," Paige agreed, smiling. It had only been a few days, but she had a good feeling about their relationship. She couldn't quite place why, but she took it as a good sign.

The next few weeks flew by. Paige and Emily saw each other nearly every day, even if it wasn't a day where Emily was working with her n the lab. Paige hadn't realized how much she had missed having a relationship until she had met Emily. She missed the excitement, and the feeling of being valued. Only she already felt more attached to Emily than she had to Shana early on. She knew Toby was happy she was dating someone, even if she hadn't gotten laid like he had suggested. She thought and hoped that was coming though, and she was glad that they had managed to hold off. Not that it had been a long time, but she figured a few weeks was when you were an adult. She really wanted to get to know Emily, and build intimacy with her before they had sex.

They were certainly getting closer to giving in. Their make out sessions had been getting longer and involved a lot more touching than in the past.

They had both forgotten all about the incident with Sydney. Paige completely forgot she existed, and Emily hadn't even seen her around at home. Besides, they were too focused on each other to worry about much else.

That Friday night, Paige went to Emily's house for dinner. Hanna was gone for the weekend, attending some fashion show for work, and Paige was very hopeful for what might happen after. She wasn't sure if she should hint she was ready or not. She didn't want Emily to feel pressured if she hadn't had that in mind.

"That was really good, Em," Paige told her as they carried their dishes to the sink. "I've always wanted to cook like that."

"I get it from my mom. You'll have to meet her soon, and she can something for you."

Paige nodded, liking that suggestion. As nervous as she was about meeting Emily's mother, she liked that Emily wanted it to happen. That was definitely a good sign.

"Paige, I can take care of these," Emily protested as Paige began to wash the dishes.

"Em, it's fine. You made all this food; it's the least I can do."

"That's sweet," Emily replied, leaning in to kiss her. "But let me at least help."

Paige agreed to that, and the two of them washed the dishes as they talked and stole kisses. They ended up backed up against the kitchen cabinets, their arms around one another as their kisses grew deeper and more passionate. Paige was desperately hoping Emily would let this continue, because she was incredibly wet and beyond horny. As if on cue, Emily pulled back, breathless.

"Will you stay the night?" she asked.

"Yes," Paige blurted out eagerly. Emily laughed, gently brushing a loose strand of hair away from Paige's face.

"I'm glad you share my enthusiasm."

Paige responded with a long, passionate kiss. They had barely pulled apart when Emily began pulling her towards the stairs.

"Bedroom?" she asked, and Paige nodded before bounding up the stairs after her.

 **A/N 2: Stay tuned ;) Plenty of Paily smut to come (Pun unintended).**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Somehow I got another chapter done. It's the first smutty part, so enjoy. Feel free to review and let me know what you think!**

Paige was nervous as she stepped into Emily's bedroom. She was always irrationally anxious before she had sex with someone new for the first time, and she wasn't sure why. Maybe she was afraid of being a disappointment. Regardless, her heart pounded in her chest as Emily turned to her, her pupils looking as though they were standing in a pitch black room. The fact that Emily wanted this as much as she did only turned her on more.

"I want you so much," Emily gasped as Paige kissed her neck, her hands wandering under her shirt. They had done second base before, but that was about it.

Paige yanked her shirt over her head in response, her anxiousness disappearing as it was replaced with desperate desire. Need, even.

"Paige," Emily whispered, closing her eyes as her bra fell to the ground. Paige cupped her breasts as she continued to kiss her, almost moaning herself at the feeling of them in her hands. She hadn't ever considered herself someone obsessed with breasts, but Emily was a different story. Something about the woman was just incredibly enticing, and she had been wanting to do this from the very moment she had laid eyes on her.

They moved to the bed, Paige climbing over Emily as they continued to make out. Emily began tugging on Paige's shirt, trying to tell her wordlessly that she was wearing too many clothes. Paige let her pull her shirt off and moved to unbuckle their bra, leaving them both topless. Emily looked up at her pale breasts, licking her lips at the sight.

"See something you like, do you?" Paige asked with a smirk. Emily pulled her back down, wrapping her legs around Paige's waist. Their bare tops pressed together, Paige's skin warm against hers.

"Yes. Now hurry up and do something about it."

They finished undressing, taking a few moments to look each other over and get used to being naked. Paige wondered if Emily had even the slightest bit of insecurity. Her body was literally perfect, and she couldn't help but stare a little. She was beyond excited at the thought of finally being able to make love to her, and she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do first.

"You're beautiful," Emily whispered, interrupting her thoughts. A smile crossed Paige's face as she leaned down to kiss her again.

"You are, too," she replied, caressing her cheek. She began trailing kisses down her neck to her chest, where she took a few minutes to suck on each nipple. Emily's soft moans fueled her on, and she suddenly found herself unable to wait any longer as she quickly kissed her way down Emily's stomach. She needed to taste her.

Emily gasped as Paige licked at her wet opening. Paige herself felt high, amazed by how aroused she was without even being touched yet. Emily was so beautiful, and the sounds she was making as Paige kissed her way around her clit were beautiful, too. She was avoiding it on purpose, trying to tease Emily for a little first. It was working, and not before long Emily was begging her to get a move on.

"Paige," she whimpered. "Please."

Paige decided it was time to give her what she wanted, her mouth finally connecting with her swollen clit. Emily cried out loudly, gripping the sheets as Paige went to work, her tongue rapidly circling the bud in front of her. Emily's loud sounds of approval drove her on and she decided she would be perfectly to content to do this for hours and hours. Maybe forever.

"Oh Paige…. Paige, yes!"

Emily's legs were beginning to tremble. Paige was sucking on her clit now, and she was slipping fast. Emily's hand fumbled for Paige, finding one of her hands. She squeezed it desperately, her cries of pleasure growing louder and louder.

She came, loudly expressing her pleasure as Paige worked to slowly bring her down from her high. She pulled her face away from Emily's center, moving up to lovingly kiss her lips. She smiled as she pulled away, looking down at the beautiful woman under her. Emily was panting, her eyes glazed as she looked up at Paige. She wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her face against Paige's.

"Paige."

"Thank you for asking me to stay," Paige told her softly. Emily chuckled.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation," she replied. "That was really good. I needed that."

"I did, too," Paige whispered, leaning down to kiss her again. "I have to warn you though, if you make that much noise at my apartment, the old lady down the hall will definitely complain."

"Oops," Emily replied, blushing. "Sorry."

"Please don't be sorry. It was sexy," she assured her, nibbling on her ear. Emily grinned.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind you doing it again. But first I think you need a turn," Emily told her, lightly running her fingers up Paige's back. Paige shuddered as a wave of arousal rushed over her. She was incredibly turned on, especially after seeing Emily. She wasn't going to object to Emily wanting to have her way with her.

"Okay," she managed to choke out. Emily smirked, sitting up.

"You can lie down. Unless you're one of those religious tops."

Paige quickly laid down in response, prompting a laugh from Emily. The dark haired beauty straddled her, leaning down to kiss her passionately. Paige's heart thudded with anticipation as she waited for Emily to start touching her. She had been fantasizing about this for weeks, and it was not letting her down.

"Your skin is so soft," Emily remarked, sipping Paige's pale breasts in her hands. She gently rubbed her thumbs over her nipples, prompting a loud groan from her. She hadn't truly realized until that moment how much she missed sex. She wanted Emily to fuck her, and she hoped that Emily had the same thing in mind.

She gasped as Emily's fingers grazed her clit, closing her eyes. She needed this so badly and she briefly considered telling Toby he had been right.

"I was going to ask you if you're ready," Emily started, sliding her fingers through Paige's wet folds. "But I'm going say that answer is yes."

"Emily," Paige choked out. She couldn't find the words to say anything else.

Emily looked into her eyes as she slid two fingers inside of Paige. She whimpered, her walls automatically clenching around Emily.

"Oh God."

Emily began to thrust her fingers inside of her at a painfully slow pace. Her thumb bumped into Paige's clit with each thrust, and she was already finding herself succumbing to the pleasure. She was going to come embarrassingly fast, and looking at Emily wasn't helping.

"How's that?" Emily asked, beginning to thrust faster. "You want it faster?"

"Unf," Paige managed to reply. "Fuck!"

Emily thrust inside of her faster, curling her fingers each time. She made sure to keep pressure on Paige's clit, and Paige couldn't remember the last time she had felt so good. A stream of moans and curses flew from her mouth as she grew closer and closer to the edge, her walls clenching tightly around Emily's fingers. One last look at the determined expression on Emily's face did her in and she came hard, trapping her fingers inside of her. Emily waited until she had finished before gently pulling her fingers out, licking them clean as Paige watched her. She grinned, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"You know, you're not so quiet yourself."

"I know. How else do you think I know the old lady down the hall complains?" she asked. Emily laughed.

"Fair point," she replied, snuggling into Paige's side. They looked at each other a moment. Paige couldn't believe how happy she felt. Content, even.

"I really am happy you came tonight," Emily told her. " I didn't even mean that to sound dirty."

"I know," she assured her, giving her a kiss. "I'm glad I did, too."

"You make me really happy," Emily continued. "I'm in a place where I really need that now. So thank you."

"You make me happy, too," Paige whispered, gently caressing her arm.

They had round two and then laid awake and talked for a while. Paige had missed feeling this close to someone, and she couldn't believe how strongly she felt their connection. She was meant to have Emily in her arms like this. They were meant to be.

Around one in the morning, they finally drifted off to sleep in one another's arms. Paige woke up at five with an aching bladder, and as much as she didn't want to get out of the warm bed, she didn't have much of a choice. She carefully slid out of Emily's arms, careful not to wake her, and pulled her tshirt on before heading for the bathroom. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to cover up since the only person here was Emily and she wasn't even awake, but she just felt funny walking around naked.

When she was coming back from the bathroom, she noticed motion out of the corner of her eye outside. From the hall window she could see someone walking up to Sydney's back porch, their back turned so she couldn't see a face. They were wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, so she couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman. She didn't exactly know what to do. Who was it? Were they trying to break into Sydney's house?

She stood frozen as she stared out of the window. She wondered if she should wake Emily up. Or call the police. But all she could do was stare as the figure pulled on Sydney's door. It was locked. She watched as they stood there a moment before leaving the porch. That was when Paige saw the glint of a knife in the figure's hand, reflecting in the moonlight.

That was what she needed to snap her out of her trance. She races back into Emily's room, grabbing her phone from the night stand.

"Emily! Emily, wake up!"

"Hmm?" Emily asked sleepily. "Paige?"

"There's someone trying to get into Sydney's house!" she explained as she held her phone to her ear. "They have a knife!"

"What?" Emily exclaimed, quickly waking up. "Where did you see that?"

"From the hall... I need the police," she explained quickly as the operator picked up on the other end. "There's someone trying to break in to the house next door and I think they have a knife."

"Oh my God," Emily gasped as she looked out of the window. "Paige, I see them. What do I do? Call Sydney?"

"Uh, Em? What's your address?" Paige asked as Emily stared out the window in horror.

"What? Oh... 31 Carren Street," she replied, grabbing for her own phone. She had to warn Sydney.

The police arrived shortly after, and a very confused Sydney joined them outside. They could find anyone, but there were muddy footprints in the back yard leading to the porch, showing that someone had been there.

"Do you know who this could be?" one of the officers asked. Sydney quickly shook her head.

"No."

"It was probably just some kid looking for money," the officer replied.

"With a knife?" Emily asked.

"Armed robberies are common. Doesn't mean they actually intend to use it."

"It's okay," Sydney assured them. "I'm okay."

Paige looked at Emily. Neither one of them could believe how calm Sydney was. No one seemed overly concerned with the fact that someone had been at her door with a knife. They all seemed sure it was just random and the person wouldn't come back. She hoped they were right.

Neither one of them felt ready to go back to sleep when they went back inside. Emily was worried that whoever it was might try to get into her house next. She checked the door multiple times to make sure it was locked. Paige didn't think whoever it was would try to get in, and she told Emily as much. What bothered her was that Sydney didn't seem surprised. She seemed as if she had been expecting it.

Paige thought back to the day where Sydney had come to her lab. She wondered if she had ever talked to Caleb, and what she had been so nervous about. Maybe she was afraid of someone. She decided to ask Caleb on Monday if he had ever heard from her, and what she had said.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Emily asked, peering out of the window.

"Yes," Paige replied, although she had a bad feeling she was wrong. "The police scared them off. I doubt they'll come back."

Emily nodded. The two of them climbed back into bed, huddling together under the blankets.

"I don't know if I can go back to sleep. What time is it?"

"Uh..." Paige looked at the clock over Emily's shoulder. "About six. We could get up if you want."

"Let's just lie here for a little while," Emily replied, closing her eyes. Paige began stroking her hair. "Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"You want to have sex again?" she asked. Paige grinned.

"Like I would ever say no to that," she replied as Emily rolled on top of her.

Later that day, once Paige had left, Emily was getting ready to go to the hospital to see her father. Her mind kept drifting back and forth from Paige to Sydney. Last night had been incredible, and now she was even more attached to Paige then she had been before. But then she would start thinking about Sydney and she would start to worry. What was going on with her neigbor, anyway? As far as she knew, Sydney didn't have a boyfriend. She had briefly mentioned a fling with someone at the hospital about a month or so ago, but that was it.

She walked outside, shivering in the chilly October wind. She looked at Sydney's house a moment before making her way to the car, deciding there was really nothing she could do.

She was eager to get to the hospital and tell her dad how she kept falling harder and harder for Paige. She obviously left out the part about all the sex they had, but she told him about her coming or for dinner and how she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy.

"She sounds like a great girl, Emmy," Wayne told her. "Maybe you could bring her by and I could meet her."

"Okay," she agreed, smiling. She took her father's hand. "I'll ask her if she can come by before your surgery next week."

"I like that idea."

"Dad..."

"Yes, Emmy?"

"Are you sur you're strong enough?" she asked softly. He just looked so sick, so frail, and she couldn't imagine him having open heart surgery. The doctors had determined weeks ago that while it was his best chance, they needed to wait until he gained some weight. But he handed, and the doctors had told Emily and her mother that if they didn't try it soon, it would be too late.

"I don't want you to worry about me, Emmy. The doctors know what they're doing. Besides," he added, smiling at her. "I get stronger every time you come to see me."

Emily smiled, fighting back tears as she leaned in to hug him. She wasn't sure she could bear losing him.

"I love you," she whispered, holding him tight. She closed her eyes and wished with everything she had that he would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, so there's something weird going on where it won't let me see if people are viewing the story. I'm assuming you guys are still there, right? Please, feedback is definitely appreciated! Enjoy the chapter!**

"Your dad wants me to meet him?" Paige asked, trying to focus her microscope. It was the following Monday, and Emily was trying to convince Paige to come see her father before his surgery.

"Yeah. I think it would mean a lot to him."

"And you?" Paige asked, giving her a gentle smile. Emily nodded.

"And me."

"I'll go see him," she promised, leaning in to kiss her. Emily grinned.

"Thank you. Really."

"I like that you want me to meet your parents," she admitted.

"My mom wants to be there, too. And just to warn you, she'll definitely try to invite you to dinner."

Paige laughed. She was a little nervous at the idea of meeting Emily's parents, but she liked that it meant she and Emily were getting serious.

She had fallen completely head over heels for her. It had been coming the whole time, but their intimate night over the weekend had sealed the deal. It definitely wasn't just the sex, either. Of course that had been great, but it was so much more than that. She absolutely loves cuddling with Emily, and she had never considered herself a cuddler. But there was something about Emily that made her want to wrap her arms around her and never let go.

"I'll gladly accept," she replied. "How's Sydney?"

"Fine, I guess. I haven't seen her much."

"The whole thing just seemed kind of weird," Paige continued. "I mean, she didn't seem overly concerned. I don't know, it's almost as if she wasn't surprised."

"I'm not sure what her deal is. I know I've been scared and I was so glad when Hanna got back last night."

"Oh, Em…. why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," she replied sheepishly. "I was embarrassed, I guess."

"You don't ever need to hide your feelings from me," Paige told her gently. She kissed her softly.

"That's sweet," Emily replied. "But don't forget we're not supposed to be making out in the lab."

"Right," Paige sighed. "At lunch, then."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

"McCullers?" Caleb called, poking his head into the room. He smirked as she and Emily quickly moved apart. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Paige replied quickly, almost knocking her microscope off of the bench. "Uh, what's up?"

"Don't forget we have a department meeting on Wednesday. Also Thomas wants to see you."

"Thomas?" Paige asked, her shoulder slumping. Ian Thomas was the board director of the hospital, and a total creep at that. Paige he lost count how many times he had hit on her, and he was always making gross comments about her sexuality. She didn't relish the idea of sitting alone with him in his office. "Why?"

"Don't know. But he says he wants to see you before the end of the day."

Paige grumbled in response. Emily looked at her questioningly as Caleb left.

"Who's that?"

"Ian Thomas? The board director. He's a fucking creep," she replied, and immediately cringed. "I'm sorry. Excuse my language."

Emily kindly didn't point out that she had cursed nonstop in bed the other night.

"What do you mean?"

"He hits on me. In a really gross way," Paige replied, pulling her gloves off. "It's not usually good if you need to go see him. I can't wait to see what this is about."

"Are you in trouble?" Emily asked, concerned.

"I don't remember doing anything. Will you've okay here for like, ten minutes? The stain won't be done for a while."

"Go ahead. I'll go get a drink or something."

Paige headed for the elevator and went all the way down to the ground floor. She was already bracing herself for whatever inappropriate remarks Ian was bound to make, and she was just hoping it wouldn't take long.

"Mr. Thomas?" she called sweetly, knocking on the doorway. "You wanted to see me?"

"Paige," he replied, smiling as he got up from his desk. "Don't you look nice."

She chose not to respond. She was wearing a stained lab coat and she hadn't washed her hair yet, leaving it a stringy mess. She knew where he was going.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. She sat down across from his desk.

"I hope so," he replied. "You see, I got a lengthy email from corporate. Something about falsifying results in the lab."

"What?" Paige asked in surprise. "My lab?"

"No. Just our facility. I wanted to know if you knew anything about this."

"I'm confused. They're accusing us of falsifying results?"

"I think so," he replied. "But they weren't specific and I'm not sure what to make of it. But it was like a warning, like they know what's going on."

"I don't understand why they wouldn't say what they think is being falsified."

"I didn't read the whole email," he admitted. "Anyway, I just wanted to talk to each one of you. And make sure you understand how much trouble you could be in for falsifying any research data, particularly cancer research."

"Believe me, I know," she assured him. "Do you know what ward?"

"I know nothing. That's why I'm lecturing you all individually," he replied. He looked her over, his wandering eyes never failing to make her uncomfortable. "I trust you, Paige. I know you have nothing to do with this. But if you hear anything, I want you to come straight to me."

"Of course."

He surprisingly let her go without any other advancements. She was baffled to say the least. Was someone from their hospital falsifying their research results? Or was it a mistake? She hoped it was the second. She didn't want to think one of her colleagues would potentially lead doctors down the wrong path just for recognition, but she guessed anything was possible. There were so many research labs in the hospital, too. Ian was going to have his work cut out for him.

Other than the other oncology researchers, she didn't really know anyone else. She was sure it couldn't be any of the people she worked with. Andrew was far too honest, and Aria Montgomery and Lucas Gottesman were too quiet and shy. It has to be someone else.

She briefly filled Emily in when she got back to the lab. Then she spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what was going on.

"Don't be nervous," Emily told Paige, holding her hand as they stood in the elevator at the hospital. "They're going to love you."

It was Friday, exactly a week after their first night together, and Emily was taking Paige to the hospital to meet her parents. She knew Paige was nervous, but it meant everything to her that she was doing this.

"I'm not," Paige lied. But she was, and Emily knew it. Instead of saying anything, she just wordlessly took her hand and smiled at her before leading her down the hallway.

"Mom? Dad?" she called softly as they stepped into the room. Pam was sitting by her husband's bedside, and both of their faces lit up when they saw the two women come in. "This is Paige. Paige, these are my parents, Pam and Wayne."

"It's so nice to finally meet you," Pam told her, going in to hug her. "Emily has told us so much about you."

Emily gave her mother a warning look. She didn't need her telling Paige that she talked about her all the time.  
"It's very nice to meet you, too," Paige replied, smiling. Emily could tell it was a stiff, anxious smile. "And you too, Mr. Fields."

"Please, call me Wayne," he replied, reaching out to shake Paige's hand. Emily could see the alarm on her girlfriend's face at how frail her father was. She didn't blame her. After months of his failing health, it still gave her a start every time she walked into his room.  
"Emily speaks very highly of both of you," Paige told them.  
"And you," Wayne replied, smiling at her. "You make her very happy."

Paige turned to Emily, smiling. Emily smiled back, feeling that thing for Paige that had been creeping up over the past few weeks. Love.

"You should come by for dinner," Pam told her. Emily and Paige exchanged amused looks. "What?"

"I told her you would say that," Emily explained.

"It will be worth it, I promise."  
"I would love to, Mrs. Fields," Paige told her.  
"Pam," Pam reminded her. Emily smiled as she watched them, glad that her parents were making Paige feel so welcome.

They stayed for about an hour. Paige had invited Emily to spend the night at her apartment, and since Toby was working a night shift, she hoped they would have the place to themselves for more intimate activities. Emily was looking forward to spending the night with her, and now that the introduction with her parents had gone so well, she was in an even better mood.

"They loved you," Emily told her as they left the hospital, wrapping her arm around Paige's waist.

"They seem nice," Paige agreed. She was silent for a moment, searching through her pockets for her keys. "Em?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry. About your dad."

"I know he looks bad. But I think he'll pull through," she replied confidently. Paige bit her lip, like she wanted to say something, but didn't. Instead she placed a gentle kiss on the side of Emily's face.

"I'm sure you're right," she told her. "Now, how do you feel about pizza? I'm not sure I want to introduce you to my cooking just yet."

"Pizza sounds great," Emily agreed. "But I doubt your cooking is that bad."

"Just ask Toby," Paige replied. "I somehow manage to screw up pancakes."

"You're so cute," Emily told her, leaning over to kiss her. "What's your favorite topping?"

"Depends on my mood," Paige replied as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Somedays I'd rather just eat plain. Or onion. I think today is an onion day."

"Mushrooms for me," Emily replied. Paige grimaced. "What?"

"I've had some bad experiences with mushrooms. You don't want to know."

"Now I do."

"When I was in first grade, I ate a poisonous mushroom outside at recess. The nurse gave me syrup of ipecac and I puked like you wouldn't believe after eating tacos at lunch."

"Ew!" Emily laughed. "Aw, Paige…"

"Needless to say, I don't care for mushrooms or tacos anymore," Paige continued. "Aren't you glad you asked?"

"I feel that way about spaghetti."

"Stop!" Paige exclaimed. "I love that. Don't ruin it for me."

Emily laughed, looking in awe at Paige. She wasn't sure adorable was a strong enough word to describe her. She had the sweetest smile, and Emily loved the way her nose curled up when she looked at her from the side. She couldn't believe how happy she felt, and at the moment, she didn't think anything could possibly change the joy she felt.

They settled themselves on the couch at Paige's apartment with their pizza, half onion and half mushroom. They found a Halloween movie marathon on TV (Emily couldn't believe how excited Paige got; she had never really been one for horror), and Paige was so excited that Emily actually wanted to leave it on. Besides, it was nice to have the extra excuse to burrow into Paige's arms.

"This pizza is so good," Emily sighed as she reached for another piece. "Wow."

"Make sure you save room for dessert," Paige replied, winking at her. Emily grinned.

"I always have room for dessert."

Paige smiled, taking a large bite from her slice. Emily wondered how she could look so beautiful eating a piece of pizza.

"Hey, so remember how the board director wanted to talk to me about falsified results the other day?" Paige asked, reaching for her can of beer.

"Yeah."

"Have you met Lucas? He's in the oncology research department."

"I don't think I have. Just Aria and Andrew."

"Oh. Well, he just acted weird when I asked him about it. Like he knew something."

"Maybe it's just self preservation," Emily suggested. "I mean, you guys are all under close observation now. He probably doesn't want people to think it was him."

"I wonder if it could be," Paige replied. "I mean, he seems quiet, but I don't know him that well."

"What happens if they prove someone lied about their results?"

"I don't know," Paige admitted. "Nothing good. All I know is we have nothing to worry about."

"The board director can't be happy. Or Caleb. If it gets out someone from your research team was falsifying their results….."

"I know. Believe me, I know."

The conversation didn't stay on that long. They spent a lot of time talking about growing up, and favorite family traditions they had had. Paige told Emily she wanted to take her to Rhode Island to meet her parents, and Emily eagerly agreed.

Once the pizza was gone and they had given themselves time to digest, they made their way to Paige's bedroom. Paige closed the door behind them and turned to Emily, a sly smile on her face.

"It's cold tonight," she started. "Can I interest you in a warm shower?"

"You can," Emily agreed. She was definitely longing to have sex with Paige as soon as possible, but holding each other under the fall of warm water sounded appealing as well.

They went to the bathroom and undressed while Paige got the water warm. When it was ready they both got in, the hot water falling on them a relief from the cold fall air.

"This is nice," Emily remarked, holding Paige close. Their noses were practically touching, yet she still wished they could be even closer.

"It is," Paige agreed. "I am guilty of staying in the shower way too long once the weather gets colder."

"I understand that," Emily replied. "The heat at our place is terrible. Hanna keeps saying she's going to get her dad to come by and fix it, but she's been saying that since last winter."

"I'll keep you nice and warm here," Paige promised, kissing her gently. Emily certainly wasn't going to argue with that.

After a shower that took much longer than either of them anticipated, they made their way to Paige's bed, not even bothering to get dressed. Paige climbed over her, as she had last week, but Emily had other ideas in mind. She rubbed her fingers through Paige's wet folds, knowing full well it wasn't just from the shower. Paige gasped in surprise as Emily slid two fingers inside of her, smirking.

"Gotcha."

In response, Paige slid her own fingers into Emily's center. Emily groaned, closing her eyes as she continued to pump her fingers inside of Paige. She couldn't believe how close she felt to her when they were making love. She was sure she had never had such a connection with someone before, and it was an incredible feeling. It would sound cheesy if she said it out loud, but she felt complete when she was with Paige.

"Em," Paige panted, her legs beginning to tremble. "Holy fuck…."

Emily tried to comment on Paige's constant use of profanity during sex, only to succeed in letting out a loud moan of pleasure. She was close, and she could tell by the way Paige's walls were clenching around her fingers that she was, too.

She came hard around Paige's fingers, crying out her name as she did so. Paige wasn't far behind and Emily would be content with forever feeling such intimacy and pleasure with her.

They withdrew their fingers from one another, Paige resting her head on Emily's shoulder. Emily wrapped her arms around her, just enjoying the feeling of Paige's skin on hers.

"You got me," Paige admitted breathlessly. Emily grinned.

"So I was right. You are always a top."

"Not always," Paige protested, her cheeks turning pink. Was she really getting embarrassed?

"It's okay to talk about what we like, Paige," Emily told her, running her fingers through her hair. "That's how relationships grow."

"I know. I guess I'm just not used to being vocal about it."

"Well, why don't you practice on me?" Emily suggested. "I would love to know what you like."

"You're enough, for starters," Paige replied, smiling down at her. "I guess I'm kind of used to being on top. But that doesn't mean I don't really enjoy being on the bottom every once in a while."

"I'll keep that in mind," Emily replied slyly. "It just so happens I'm very versatile. So, just wait."

"Um… how do you feel about toys?"

"I definitely don't mind them if my partner really knows how to use them," she replied, grinning as Paige's cheeks turned pink again.

"Well, I was asking because I currently don't have any. My ex kind of took them."

"All of them? That's so rude!"

"Yeah, she was just trying to be a bitch. Even though she was the one who fucked me over, but that's a story for another night."

"Whenever you want to talk about it," Emily replied. "Don't worry. We could always go buy one together."

"I like that idea," Paige replied, kissing her. "You tired?"

"Not even a little bit."

"Sweet."

They made love long into the night, before they were finally too tired for any more. It got cold as they laid in Paige's bed with no clothes on, and they ended up pulling the blankets up and huddling together under them.

They talked softly for a while before finally drifting off to sleep, each woman thinking the same thing.

 _I love you._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yeah, I suck. I'm sorry guys. I'm just busy all the time even when I'm not in school. For anyone else who's premed, it's tough, am I right? Ugh. Well, this is way later than I said it would be, but I hope you enjoy!**

"You see? You've been so much nicer since you finally started getting pussy again," Toby told Paige the next Friday morning as she got ready to leave for the lab. She and Emily had been dating for two months now. It was true she had been far more cheerful lately, and she supposed Emily was the reason, but he didn't have to be so rude about it.

"You're disgusting," she replied, tightening the lid on her travel mug.

"Hey, she seems sweet. I'm just glad to see you happy again," he told her, and she couldn't help but smile at that. She knew he meant well.

"Thanks," she replied. "I'll be home late tonight. We're going out for dinner and I'm not sure what time we'll be back."

Toby whistled. She just laughed and shook her head, heading for the door.

Friday was a day where Emily had classes and Paige was in the lab by herself, but at least they had their date later. She had plenty of company; she took a coffee break with Aria Montgomery early on in the morning and had lunch with Andrew in the cafeteria. Afterwards she returned to her lab, determined to work through the rest of the afternoon.

She was about an hour into her undisturbed work when there was a knock behind her. She turned around to find Lucas standing in the doorway, wringing his hands like he always seemed to do.

"Hi, Lucas. What's up?"

"I just wanted to ask you something," he explained nervously.

"Okay," she replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Has some….. nurse from the geriatrics ward come around here? She's thin with long dark hair."

"Weeks ago," Paige replied. This was weird. "Why?"

"I was just curious. I wanted to know if she came to talk to you."

"Yes, but…" She trailed off as he turned around and left. Why was everyone acting so strange? She felt a little like she was in the twilight zone. But she dismissed it, since she had always considered Lucas a little strange, and went back to work.

The day went by slowly. She just wanted to be able to leave and go on her date with Emily. Friday had also become their spending the night together day, and she definitely liked that. She hoped for more than one day as their relationship progressed. It wasn't just about the sex, either. She loved the feeling of Emily in her arms, and waking up to her in the morning. She wanted to do it more often.

She knew Emily could use the distraction. Her father had he open heart surgery two days ago, and while they had finally taken him off the ventilator yesterday once his blood pressure had gone back to normal, he didn't seem to be doing well. Paige had gone with Emily to see him last night, and he barely seemed like he knew who they were. He looked terrible. Paige hadn't said that of course, but anyone could see it. Emily was heartbroken when they left, and Paige hoped a night out would take her mind off her sick father.

She texted Emily when she left work, asking if they were still meeting at the restaurant at six. Emily responded right away telling her yes. Paige grinned stupidly at her phone as she made her way to the car, excited at the thought of spending another night with her girlfriend.

Emily had been distracted all day thinking about her father. She hadn't heard a word any of her professors had said, and she didn't even care, something very uncharacteristic of her. Her only solace was her date with Paige later. She wasn't sure how she would cope without her girlfriend. Her father's failing health had been a source of stress for a long time, but since she had started dating Paige she had actually had a distraction. It was great. Paige was great. And she couldn't wait to get out of the stuffy classroom and see her.

She left the school a little after four-thirty. It gave her plenty of time to get ready for her date without having to rush. Her spirits were slightly lifted at the thought of spending the night with Paige, but the image of her father lingered in her mind. The surgery had only seemed to make him worse. The doctor had told her yesterday that his blood pressure was unstable and his heartbeat was irregular. She said they couldn't make any promises.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut as tears threatened her. No. Tonight was supposed to be a distraction. She needed to think of Paige.

By the time she entered her town it had started to rain. She was approaching the town park, usually a popular after school place for the kids, but today it was empty. Except for the two people standing by the parking lot.

Emily squinted, turning her windshield wipers on. One of the people was Sydney. She couldn't quite make out who she was talking to, and she quickly realized they had a ski mask on over their face. Something was wrong.

She pulled into the parking lot and parked her car. Sydney was trying to get away. They were yelling at each other and the man was grabbing Sydney's arm. Emily got out of the car.

"Sydney!"

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. She started for the park entrance, phone out to call 9-1-1. And then she saw the knife raised.

"No!" she screamed. "Sydney, run!"

Emily was frozen as Sydney tried to escape. She successfully broke away him, trying to run for the gate.

"Emily!" she shrieked. "Call the police!"

Emily couldn't tell which one of them screamed as the knife was plunged into Sydney's back. Time seemed to stand still as she collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Everything seemed to spin. Emily stared at her through the fence, sure that this was a dream. Or maybe just a cruel joke. That had to be it. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there staring at Sydney's lifeless body. She was only snapped out of her trance when the man, tall and formidable, pulled the knife out of Sydney's back and started for her. Which was when she realized that this wasn't a dream, it was real, and she had just witnessed a murder.

She spun around, screaming at the top of her lungs as she began to run. Somehow her legs worked and she ran as fast as she could, not daring herself to turn around and see how close he was.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!"

She wondered where she was going to run to. She was running away from her car, which if she was thinking rationally, would have seemed like a terrible idea. But the only thing her brain was capable of thinking about was getting away.

"HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE!"

She looked. He was still in pursuit, and gaining on her. The rain was picking up and the street was slippery as it was slowly flooded with water. And as if her worst fear was recognized without her even consciously thinking it, she slipped and fell, giving up the only lead she had.

She lay in the puddle, soaked and freezing from the rain. But when she looked her chaser was running away. For a moment she was confused. She could barely think and the adrenaline was still coursing through her, her heart pounding in her ears. It took her a moment to realize she was hearing police sirens, and they were coming closer.

She began to sob in relief, pulling herself up into a sitting position. She didn't even bother to get up. She didn't think she could.

The police car stopped in the middle of the street, lights flashing. Toby jumped out and ran to her as his partner started off for the park.

"Emily!" he exclaimed. "Oh God, what happened?"

She couldn't talk. She could only cry, and she was too terrified to be embarrassed. He crouched next to her, radio in hand.

"Emily, it's okay. You're okay."

"She's dead," Emily gasped. "I tried to save her…"

"Who's dead, Emily?"

"Sydney… he stabbed her and then he chased me…"

"Reynolds? There's a body somewhere around here. Female," he said into his radio. "Emily, are you hurt? There's an ambulance on the way."

"How did…" She took a shuddering breath. "How did you find me?"

"Someone called about a fight in the park," Toby replied. "I guess it's a good thing we were already on our way. Can you tell me who was chasing you?"

"I don't know," she whispered, barely aware of the ambulance pulling up. "I don't know."

"We're going to take you to the hospital," Toby told her. "Just to be sure you're okay. Do you want me to call Paige?"

Paige. Emily suddenly realized how much she needed her. How much she needed to hear her voice, or feel her arms around her.

"Paige," Emily whispered as two paramedics approaches her. She wasn't sure if she was just in shock or if she had hit her head when she fell, but she felt very strange.

The ride to the hospital was a blur. She was brought into a small cubicle, where a nurse came to her immediately to take her vital signs. She asked her all kinds of questions, some of which she really couldn't remember. She just wanted Paige.

It was like she was dreaming. Everything was hazy, like it wasn't real. She hadn't just seen Sydney die. She couldn't have.

The image of the killer chasing after her, bloody knife in hand, was still terrifyingly fresh in her mind. But who had it been? Why had they done this? Had it been the same person who had tried to break into Sydney's house a few weeks ago? She had so many questions. And the police probably would have their share, too.

"Toby, where is she?"

Emily perked up immediately at the sound of Paige's voice. The curtain opened and Paige was there, her eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, Emily," she whispered, rushing to her side. "You're okay, love. You're okay."

Safe and sound in Paige's arms, she couldn't help but break down into fresh tears. Paige held her, soothingly whispering that everything was okay. Thankfully, she didn't ask her what happened. She didn't want to talk about Sydney. She just held her and let Emily know she was there.

Eventually she was moved into a room down the hall. The doctor ordered a CT scan, concerned she might have hit her head when she fell based on her lack of memory. Police were in and out of her room, asking her all kinds of questions about what she had seen and exactly what had happened. Paige held her hand the whole time.

Pam showed up about an hour after Emily had gotten to the hospital. When the doctor had suggested Paige leave, Pam firmly told him she was staying, and Emily had never been more grateful for her mother's stubborness.

She couldn't stop shaking. The nurse brought her three blankets, but it didn't make her feel any better. She couldn't stop replaying it in her mind. The knife plunging into Sydney's back. Her crumpling to the ground. Her killer chasing her.

He had seen her. If it was someone who knew her, she was really in trouble. She had witnessed him murdering someone, and if he knew where to find her, she could be next.

"Paige," Emily whispered. Paige looked at her, looking like she wanted to cry.

"What, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry about our date."

"Em… don't. There's nothing for you to apologize for."

"I can't stop seeing it," Emily whispered, closing her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek. "I saw it. I saw everything."

"Shhh," Pam soothed, stroking her daughter's forehead. "Just close your eyes, darling. You're safe here."

"I couldn't help her."

"Em," Paige whispered helplessly, holding her hand tightly.

"How's everything going?" Toby asked, stepping into the room. Emily cracked an eye open and promptly closed it without answering his question.

"Please, Toby," Paige begged. "No one more questions."

"No, we're done for now," he assured her. "I just wanted to see how she's doing."

Emily still didn't answer. She knew they wanted to hear her say she was okay, but that would be a lie. She wasn't okay. She had seen someone die. She had seen someone murdered. She had been chased by the same man, and his intent had been clear. If he knew who she was, she was in big trouble.

"Um….. Paige, can I talk to you outside?" Toby asked. Paige looked at her girlfriend, clearly not wanting to leave her side.

"It's okay, Paige," Emily assured her.

"She'll be okay," Pam added. Paige nodded and followed Toby into the hallway.

"Do you need anything? Another blanket? I could make some coffee if you want," Paige offered. It was almost midnight and Emily had finally been discharged from the hospital. It had been determined that she did not have a concussion, and she had just been in shock from what she had seen. Paige was spending the night with her, not wanting to leave her alone for even a little while when Hanna was at work. Their plan had been to spend the night together anyway, but not like this.

"I'm okay, Paige."

"Or maybe tea? Tea would be good. You know, to calm you down."

"Paige, I'm okay," she repeated, smiling slightly at her. Paige nodded, reminding herself not to overwhelm her. But after talking to Toby she was terrified. Not just for Emily's mental well being, but for her safety. He had told her out in the hall that Emily he actually seen the murder. The killer had chased her, with the intent to kill her since she was a witness to his crime. If the killer knew who she was, or found out who she was, she could be in serious danger.

"Okay. Just tell me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will," Emily assured her as she began to change into her pajamas. Paige tried not to stare, but she just couldn't help how worried she was. "Paige?"

"Yes?" she asked, gently running her fingers down Emily's bare arm.

"Thank you for staying with me today. I needed you so bad."

"Oh, Em…" Paige pulled her into her arms, holding her close. She couldn't let herself think about how close she had come to losing her today. "You don't need to thank me, Emily. I…. I love you."

Emily pulled back, looking at her with teary eyes. She smiled, gently placing a finger to Paige's lips.

"I love you, too," she whispered, burying her face in Paige's shoulder. Paige held her even tighter, relieved that she had at least one weight off her shoulders. Emily loved her. And she loved Emily. In that moment she vowed that they would get through this together. Alive.

"You sure you don't need anything?" Paige asked.

"I'm sure," Emily replied, kissing her. "I just want to snuggle with you."

"Of course."

The two of them got under bed, huddling under the covers. Paige wrapped her arms around Emily, holding her close. She knew she didn't want to talk about what had happened early. Paige didn't blame her. Not only was watching someone die something no one should have to experience, but Sydney had been her friend. She couldn't even begin to imagine what she was feeling right now.

"If you want to talk, I'm here," Paige told her, at least giving her the option. Emily smiled.

"I know. Thank you."

"Of course," she replied, glad that whatever they had given Emily at the hospital to relax her was still working. She had been so traumatized earlier, so terrified. Paige couldn't bear to see her like that again. "Let me know when you want me to turn the light off."

"Can we leave it on?" Emily asked sheepishly. "Please?"

"Absolutely," Paige whispered.

She held her all through the night. Eventually she grew tired herself and drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: SORRY. I am totally the writer I can't stand: disappearing for months and months at a time. I could give a million excuses, but if I'm being honest, the biggest reason I haven't been updating is I just haven't been motivated with what's been going on with PLL. Which isn't fair, because with Paige's poor treatment on the show, you all need good Paily more than ever. I apologize again and I thank you all for sticking with me even when I didn't give you reason to. You're the best!**

Paige opened her eyes, momentarily filled with joy to find herself next to Emily before the memories of the night before came flooding back. Sydney was dead. Murdered. Emily had seen it happen. She had even been chased by the killer himself. Paige had so many questions, but she didn't dare ask them. Emily was supposed to go back to the police station that day, and she figured they would interrogate her enough.

She gently stroked Emily's cheek, glad that she had finally gotten some sleep. She was afraid of waking her up if she moved, so she stayed lying next to her, overcome with fear. Emily had witnessed a murder. Even worse, the killer knew it. That's why he had come after her. She shuddered to think what could have happened if someone hadn't heard the confrontation Sydney had been having and called the police.

But now that was another thing to worry about. The killer was still out there, and she was terrified he was going to come after Emily. He would have every reason to, and since he didn't get to finish her off last night…..

She closed her eyes, trying to control the feeling of panic rising in her. She wouldn't let him hurt Emily. Toby was a good cop; he and the people he worked with could figure this out. They had to. Emily's life depended on it.

She jumped as her cell phone vibrated on the table. She quickly grabbed it so it wouldn't wake Emily, opening it to see a message from Toby.

 _Don't forget to bring her by for questioning._

Paige rolled her eyes, typing out a response. He had told her just about ten times last night to bring her by.

 _I know. Do you know anything yet?_

 _We'll talk about it when you come in later._

She sighed again, closing her eyes. She didn't understand. Sydney seemed like such a sweet woman, and Paige couldn't see how anyone would want to hurt her.

Unless there had been something more going on. Now that she thought about it, she had had a very strange run in with Sydney just days before her murder. Emily had mentioned she was acting strange, too. She had kept asking about the head of the research program at the hospital. Why? Had she known something bad about someone that got her killed? It had to be something like that. It just didn't make sense otherwise.

"Paige?"

She opened her eyes, smiling gently as she saw Emily looking back at her.

"Hi, Em. How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly well rested."

"The power of drugs," she replied, and she was relieved when Emily laughed. "Seriously, though…. Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. Paige wrapped her arms around her. "I mean…. I saw someone die. She was my friend."

"I know," Paige whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry, Em."

"He's going to come after me again."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. I saw it. Maybe I didn't see him, but he doesn't know that. All he knows is I was there and I started running. He was going to kill me then, and since he couldn't…. it's only a matter of time before-."

"Stop," Paige cut in. "I won't let that happen."

Emily just sighed in response, her eyes welling with tears. Paige hated seeing her hurt, and even more, she hated the fact that she had to feel so afraid.

"We'll talk to Toby," she told her gently. "He works with some of the best detectives. They'll figure this out, and they'll help us keep you safe."

"I guess. I wanna take a bath. Come with me?"

* * *

Two hours later they were headed to the police station. Toby was waiting for them, and he led them to a back room, offering them both coffee that seemed to have grounds floating in it.

"I'm very sorry to ask you here, Emily," he started. "But it's very important you tell us what happened. This is Detective Wilden. He's going to be on this case. He is a very skilled homicide detective, and he will be sure the killer does not come after you again."

"Nice to meet you," Wilden told them, shaking each of their hands. "So, Emily, I was told that you witnessed Sydney Driscoll's murder. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Paige wondered if Emily was tired of telling this story. She squeezed her hand the whole time, silently reminding her that she was there. She couldn't even imagine what Emily was going through. Watching her suffer was hard enough, but Emily had actually seen it all happen.

She couldn't believe how quickly and strongly she had fallen for her. It really was hard to believe that it had only been a month since they had met. The connection they had was unlike anything she had ever felt. She couldn't lose her.

Emily was quiet leaving the police station. Paige didn't want to pressure her into talking, since she had done more than enough of it inside. Why did someone so sweet have to suffer so much? As Paige got into the driver's seat, she wished more than anything that she could take Emily's pain and give it to herself.

"So…. are you hungry?" she asked, just trying to make sure Emily was okay. She looked like she was off in a different world.

"Uh…. not really."

"You've barely eaten since…. Well, sometime yesterday. Can we at least go back to your house and I can make you something?"

"I thought you said you could mess up a sandwich," Emily replied, smiling as she looked at her. Paige chuckled, relieved to see her smile.

"Well, I'll try really hard to get it right."

"Yeah. That's fine."

When they got back to Emily's house, Hanna was there. Paige wasn't happy to see her, because she knew she was going to ask the same questions Emily had just answered over and over again. She knew the last thing her girlfriend wanted was to go home and talk about last night's misfortunes some more.

"Emily!" Hanna exclaimed the second they were in the door, flinging herself at her roommate. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner. Did you get my texts?"

"Yeah," Emily replied, sounding tired. "It's okay. But I really don't want to talk about it right now. I don't want to explain again."

"No, of course. I'm just so sorry," she told her, not letting her go. "That's so awful. And poor Sydney. I…. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thank you," Emily replied, quickly wiping at her eyes. Hanna finally stepped back, smiling at Paige.

"Thank you. For taking care of her."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Em, what can I get for you? Do you want me to go to the liquor store?"

"Actually, I would love that," Emily told her, and Paige chuckled, nodding in understanding.

"That is a good idea," she agreed.

"Anything in particular?"

"Surprise me. But get something strong," she called as Hanna hurried out of the door. She sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah. I need to get smashed."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's another chapter just a week later! Yay me! Enjoy and let me know what you think :)**

"It's just weird," Emily told Paige for what seemed like the tenth time that evening. It was later that night, and Paige was staying at Emily's house again. Hanna had gone back to work, and she knew Emily didn't want to be by herself. Paige was more than happy to stay with her if it made her feel better, and she liked that Emily considered her a comfort.

She had actually gotten Emily to eat a decent sized dinner, and now they were settled together in Emily's room. They had the tv on, but Emily kept talking, trying to make sense of what had happened.

"I know," Paige agreed.

"I mean, I really knew Sydney. Everyone liked her."

"Well… something had to have been going on. Like, she knew something about someone. My run in with her in the hospital was super weird, and then you said she was acting weird with you. Something isn't right. I just don't know what."

"Someone did seem to be after her," Emily agreed. "Remember that night we saw someone trying to get into her house? She didn't seem surprised at all."

That was true. Paige had found that very odd; it was almost as if she had been waiting for someone.

"There has to be a reason someone wanted her dead," Emily continued. "Random killers don't keep targeting one person like that, do they?"

"I really don't know, Em. But like you said, she seemed to know it was coming. It must have been someone she knew."

"I don't know any of the people she works with," Emily admitted. "Maybe something happened at work. That stuff happens in hospitals. People do unethical things for more money and if they get caught they don't want word getting out."

"Oh my God!" Paige exclaimed suddenly, and Emily looked at her curiously. What she had said suddenly made something click. "Remember the other day? When Thomas called me to his office? He said he got a letter suggesting a lab in the hospital was falsifying results. He was asking all of the researchers there to see if we knew anything. I know I'm not doing it, but someone could be. Sydney came to me asking for Caleb. She wanted to meet with the research director. She acted really strange and then just left when I said he wasn't in. You said she asked about me and the research director too, right?"

"Yes," Emily replied, looking excited at the sudden development.

"Someone must be falsifying their results. It must be true. Somehow Sydney found out about it, and that is a really strong reason to want someone dead. If the person got caught, they would lose their lab, their credentials, everything. They would have had to do everything possible to keep her quiet."

"Paige…. that really makes sense."

"I'll talk to Ian tomorrow. See if I can get him to talk to the cops. I definitely will. It's just too much to be a coincidence."

"You don't think Caleb…..?"

"No," Paige replied firmly. "I don't think he knows who it is, just like Ian doesn't. The letter wasn't specific. Caleb's just the director. He doesn't really see much of our work."

"What about Lucas?"

"Believe me, I've already got my eye on him. He was being real weird when that letter came in. Seemed awfully bent out of shaped that he was talked to, even though we all were. I've always felt like there was something a little funny about him. It wouldn't surprise me."

"But, him being strange and killing someone are two different things. You really think he could have done it?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to look into it."

"Paige… Let Toby do his job. Please don't get involved."

"Emily, this person knows you saw what he did. We need to catch him as soon as possible."

"You work in a lab," Emily reminded her, chuckling. "But that's very sweet you're so worried."

"Worried? Of course I'm worried."

"Paige, please don't do anything stupid. Don't meddle. Promise me."

"I'm not promising anything."

"Paige!"

"What?" She asked innocently, smiling at her. "Em, it has to be someone I know at work. If I can do something to keep you from getting hurt, I will. I…. I love you."

Emily smiled at that, moving in to hug her tight.

"I love you too, Paige. But that's why I need you to be careful."

"I'll do my best, but that's all I can give you."

* * *

Paige had no intention of following Emily's wishes to not get involved. There was too much at stake, and if Emily was in danger, she wasn't going to just sit back and wait for something to happen. Since Emily was in class today, she took the opportunity to start nosing her way through the labs. She knew most of the researchers, even those who didn't do research for oncology, and she was hoping to strike up a conversation before conveniently throwing in why she was actually there.

She just had to finish her own plates first. She was concentrating hard on not having to start over, and she almost screamed when she heard someone speak from the doorway.

"Paige?"

"Caleb! You scared me!" She exclaimed, turning to face him. He grinned.

"I can see that."

"What's up?"

"I trust you heard from Mr. Thomas."

"I did."

"Well, don't take it personally, but I need to talk to you again."

"You know I didn't do anything."

"Of course I do. But you're observant, Paige. That's really why I'm coming to you. Have you seen anything? Heard anything?"

"Well…." She paused, debating whether she should tell Caleb about Sydney. She decided it wouldn't hurt. "You heard about that nurse, right? The one who was murdered?"

"Yes. She's from geriatrics."

"She came by recently asking for you."

"Me?"

"Yes. But you weren't in that day, so she said she would come back and talk to you. Did she?"

"No," he replied, looking confused. "But what does that have to do with what I asked you?"

"Because I think someone has been fudging results. I don't know who, but I think she somehow knew. She was acting really weird before it happened. Emily lived next door to her, and she thought so, too. We think she knew something, and they knew she knew something, so they killed her."

"You think the two things are tied together?"

"I do. It makes sense. She works in the hospital. She was acting weird and kept asking about you. When someone tried to break into her house she didn't seem surprised. Like she knew someone was after her. Then she gets murdered right after Mr. Thomas talked to me. Someone was afraid she'd tell when that letter came in."

Caleb nodded, looking at her. She wasn't sure he was going to listen.

"That's an interesting theory, Paige. Have you told the police?"

"Not yet. But I'm going to."

"You don't have any idea who could be doing this?"

"No."

"I can see why she'd be in trouble if she knew something like that. Falsifying lab results is serious, especially when it hurts people."

"I wish I had something more to tell you."

"Just keep an eye out. You seem to have a good detective streak," he told her, amused.

"She saw it, you know. Emily."

"Saw what?" He asked. "Her body."

"Her murder. The killer chased her. That's why it's so important to me to get to the bottom of this. Not only will it save lives, but she could be in danger."

"I can see why you would be worried about that. But can I give you some advice?"

"I probably don't want it," she replied, and he laughed.

"Let the police do their jobs. Don't meddle. That won't help anything and you could get hurt. Just keep your ears and eyes open and report anything strange to me."

"Okay."

She scowled as he left the lab. Why was everyone telling her not to meddle? She wasn't an idiot; she could snoop without being obvious. They were crazy if they thought she would just sit back with Emily in danger and wait for the police to slowly do their job. She thought Toby was great, but based on the town's history, she didn't have much faith in the police department as a whole. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to take matter into her own hands.

* * *

Emily was eager to get out of class. Everyone kept staring at her, and she had already been asked too many times about Sydney. She knew people were concerned, but she hated everyone looking at her like she was a victim. Which, maybe she was in some way, but not like Sydney. She had survived.

Well, sort of. Maybe she was still alive now, but the killer knew she had seen. He was still out there. The thought send shivers down her spine, and she was glad that she would be going to Paige's after class instead of to her empty house. She knew Paige was worried, and in a way she thought it was really sweet. She was grateful she had met Paige when she did, because as good of a friend as Hanna was, she was hardly around and Emily really didn't want to go through this alone.

Unfortunately, it was mostly dark when she left. She was fully aware of every sound around her as she walked to her car; every cricket, every animal, and every gust of wind that blew through the trees. He wasn't here, right? Maybe he would determine that she hadn't seen his face and just leave her alone. That was possible, wasn't it?

She thought she had parked closer. Fear pricked at the back of her neck as she searched for her keys, figuring she should at least have something sharp just in case.

Finally, she saw her car. She started walking faster, but that relief lasted only a moment. A little ways off, a figure dressed all in black was standing, watching; her car was halfway between them. She froze, staring at them. It was him.


End file.
